Hamilton, NY — Last week, Colgate’s Board of Trustees met for one of their three annual meetings. The Board includes parents of students, alumni, and the university president. As the governing body of the university, their goal is to provide wisdom and guidance for the school; their first report included information about the two new residences halls, future plans for the bicentennial, and a measure to decrease the width of walls so that students can hear everything that happens inside each room.
“By Fall 2020, every room in this school will have the soundproof capacity of a piece of cardboard,” explains board chair James P. Blackwell ’89. Mr. Blackwell is the founder and CEO of Capital Funds, a private equity firm. “Back when I went to Colgate, the walls were pretty thin. You could hear a muffled conversation in the hall and music from the room next to you if they were playing it pretty loudly. Occasionally, you could hear some nighttime activities. But we plan to decrease the wall width so that students feel more connected.”
The board explains that creating thinner walls will foster a community environment where students feel as if they can connect more. By hearing everything that goes on in someone’s room, students will get to know one another better. The decision came from complaints by students who felt isolated from their peers. Phone calls, parties, and intimate time between students will give them a chance to connected on a deeper level.
Current junior Jake Addams says, “I am so glad that I will be graduated by then. The walls are pretty thin everywhere. I can’t imagine what they’ll be like when they purposely try and decrease their size.” Once completed, the Board of Trustees plans to send out surveys to students in order to assess if they feel more connected with their classmates.
Mr. Blackwell remains hopeful that this measure will create a stronger Colgate community. “You haven’t had a true college experience if you don’t know everything that goes in in your dorm!”
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